The idea of reinstating conscription is spreading rapidly across Europe. Sweden, the Baltic states, and Denmark have already revived this once-outdated defence policy. Numerous other countries are now seriously considering its return. Britain’s freshly unseated former prime minister Rishi Sunak embraced the national service agenda to combat a shrinking army, while Portugal has been toying around with the idea. Even the German military began exploring a mandatory draft option.
Recently, the topic reached Luxembourg thanks to an interview given by Yuriko Backes, where the new defence minister claimed that although such a proposal was not part of the coalition agreement, she believes “there will be a discussion about it, just like in other European countries”. The proposal found some support from former prime minister Xavier Bettel, who told the Luxemburger Wort that, “if war breaks out tomorrow and Luxembourg is involved, it must be possible to discuss it.”
Among all the countries in Europe, the case for bringing back obligatory military service is most ludicrous here in the Grand Duchy because we can afford a professional military. Luxembourg is the richest country in Europe. Its budgetary position is very comfortable. The Grand Duchy is the last man standing, in adhering to the Maastricht criteria with its national debt and deficit levels.
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Luxembourg could easily double or triple its military spending to attract new recruits without coercion by prioritising defence in its budget. We could offer military salaries competitive to not only the public but also the private sector, or even reproduce the French model of Legion Etrangere, if an insufficient number of nationals can be found to fill the ranks.
Why, then, propose conscription in the Grand Duchy? For most, the proposal has ideological roots in cross-generational conflict. Some, like the author of the 2022 petition for Chambres des Deputes, see it as a way to combat youth unemployment. Others from Gen X spin false generalisations about the weakness of today’s youth and see this as the only way to strengthen their character.
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Conscription is not a silver bullet for the hardships of teens stuck from childhood in a digital world with all its problems, but it might well be the final nail to that coffin. The reality of conscription is that it severely damages younger generations. The question of whether the year of forced army service will better their chances in the real world is an empirical one and we have the answers, thanks to plenty of research. Those studies show time after time that conscripts have trouble in the job market, earning less later in life than their peers who did not spend a year in the army.
Proponents of conscription may praise habits one learns in the army, conveniently overlooking the most damaging one: alcoholism. Alcohol abuse has long been entrenched in military tradition and remains especially prevalent in conscript armies, which cannot depend on the self-selection of highly disciplined candidates.
Studies on alcohol abuse among training conscripts in the Hellenic Navy, who frequently engage in binge drinking, illustrate this issue. Similar patterns are observed in draft armies worldwide. Conscription will shape the drinking habits of young Luxembourgers. While their military service will end, their substance abuse might not.
What about putting their life together and growing up? Will obligatory military service leave the youth more capable of taking responsibility? Unlikely. Finland, often praised for its conscription model is a superb example of how said policy harms youth in that regard as well.
There, the underpaid conscripts often struggle with living costs and remain reliant for a longer portion of their life on their parents and thus cannot gain independence nor sort their life out until the military service is done. Interestingly, a year in the army is often a strain on their romantic relationships and stops them from starting a family as many couples do not survive twelve months of long distance. Love is often an overlooked victim of conscription.
Luxembourg has a wonderful history of leading the charge in conscription abolition in the 1960s. It should remain an example of how liberal democracies should mount opposition to the authoritarian threat. Luxembourg does not need to sacrifice the freedom of its youth to protect its safety. We should leave Luxembourg’s conscription-free legacy intact.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this analysis are solely those of the respective analyst/author and do not represent the official stance or views of EU Intelligence.
